San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) looks to pass as he scrambles against Green Bay in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Jim Gensheimer/Bay Area News Group)

—Straight from tonight’s Merc website (MY VERSION)/

SANTA CLARA–Colin Kaepernick had a little, brief, microscopic shot to change everything about this 49ers quarterback “competition” on Friday in a single quarter of play.

He could’ve been brilliant against Green Bay. He could’ve upstaged presumptive starter Blaine Gabbert with a burst of dynamic passing and running.

In what probably was his last and only chance before the regular season, Kaepernick could’ve emerged from his nine-month absence and grabbed a new hold of his old starting job.

But that did not happen–reality and rustiness interceded, and Kaepernick’s unsteady second-quarter effort essentially sealed the deal.

Really, it would’ve been a shock if Kaepernick was totally in rhythm.

And he very much wasn’t. Which makes things very simple.

Whether or not coach Chip Kelly wants to announce it yet, Gabbert will be the 49ers’ starting QB in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams.

That’s not because Gabbert was dominant in any way this preseason–including Friday’s OK performance–it’s because Gabbert knows the system, remained healthy, and generally won this job by default.

“He was up and down, I think like all of us offensively,” Kelly said after the game of Kaepernick.

Chip, is the competition still open?

“We’ll sit down as a staff and kind of see where we are, the overall state,” Kelly said carefully.

But barring a Kaepernick miracle, Gabbert was always going to start 2016 as the No. 1 QB.

That’s how this entire preseason was set up, that was reinforced when Kaepernick missed two weeks with shoulder fatigue, and that was the script he could not flip in his preseason debut on Friday.

His last live NFL game-action? Last November as a sub for a dinged up Gabbert against Atlanta, which was a week after Kaepernick was benched.

And, once he trotted into the huddle in the second quarter, Kaepernick looked exactly like a guy who hadn’t played in nine months–his arm was lively, but his feet were jumpy and he seemed to be going a little too fast, even for a Kelly offense.

“I don’t think there was rust–it just felt good being back on the field,” Kaepernick said. “I was excited to be out there. Wish we would’ve done a little bit more, but it was good to get out there, get my feet wet.”

In three first-half drives at the helm, with most of the first-team offense joining him, Kaepernick completed two of his six pass attempts for 14 yards and ran four times for 18 yards; the 49ers didn’t score on any of those drives.

In two series to start the game, Gabbert completed two of his three attempts for 14 yards, ran twice for 15 yards and the 49ers scored one touchdown in that time..

Again: Gabbert wasn’t great and isn’t going to be great, but he’s the QB who Kelly can trust at this point, and he also has the benefit of a 49ers front office that wants him to be the starter.

So Gabbert will start Week 1; Kaepernick might get the start in the preseason finale next week, which Kelly can sell as a continuation of the “competition” but also fits the situation because true starters rarely play in that game.

This is Gabbert’s job; it always was, and Kelly can re-assess a few weeks into the regular season, if he needs to.

Kaepernick, though, said he is still aiming to win the Week 1 job.

“That’s really up to Chip and the coaching staff, but in my mind I can go out and win it,” Kaepernick said.

“I think next game I have to be more productive, put points on the board, ultimately that’s what you want to do as an offensive and as a quarterback.”

If you just toss out Kelly’s overblown talk of a true “competition,” this works out fine for both Gabbert and Kaepernick.

Gabbert was the guy there throughout the off-season and into training camp, he’s the guy the locker room looks to as the offensive leader and he’ll get the chance to step into that role.

And it gives Kaepernick more time on the practice field and to get comfortable with Kelly’s system, and then wait for his opportunity after Week 1.

If Gabbert is good, Kaepernick fades away and is released after this season.

If Gabbert is hurt or struggles, there’s Kaepernick right there.

Now, whether owner Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke actually want Kaepernick around at all… that’s something they’ll have to hash out with Kelly at some point and that’s a topic for another column, or two.

But practically, Kelly should want Kaepernick as his back-up because Kaepernick has a chance to help this team down the road.

And practically, once Kaepernick started missing time in camp, I think Kelly probably penciled Gabbert in for the start of the regular season.

That way, Kelly will reward the QB who has been there for every drill from last spring on… and Kelly still has Kaepernick in his back pocket for later.

The 49ers set it up for this and maybe Kelly was a little too cute in the way he tried to sell this as a true competition.

It wasn’t. Kaepernick had the tiniest of shots at this, it was Friday’s second quarter, he had everything against him… and he lost the Week 1 starting job he was never meant to get.

How can you not start Kaepernick and call it a fair competition when Gabbert had already started two games with the starters.

PhD

I think you’re glossing over the bigger story of whether or not Kap is even around to start the season. I believe ‘thrifty’ Jed saves two million dollars if they just cut bait and stem the hemorrhaging.

david middleton

Jed will pay Kap the 2 mill because if Kap goes someplace else and gets his mojo back Jeb will be the guy that let a great QB go. I think Kap would thrive if he got away from 9er’s. The team isn’t toxic except for Kap. Canberra and Kap had the exact same stats in game except Gabbert had a TD. Jed is probably mad because Kap wouldn’t lower his $$ for season.

PhataLerror

Colin Kaepernick’s inability to play football from the pocket made the quarterback battle non-competitive. There were no hidden agendas, and Kaepernick’s recovery from injury only shielded him from the future criticism that his sixth off-season program was just like his first five: He seldom made even incremental progress in the areas of consistent throwing mechanics, throwing with anticipation, and reading defenses quickly.

San Francisco’s throwing runningback is about to get his ticket out of town punched, and it’s a departure long overdue.

#7tormsleaving
#nomorekaepologies
#nomorethrowingrunningbacks

Angel Perea

THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH: According to Coach Kelly his QBs were to have an equal opportunity? Really? Then, why didn’t Kaepernick start? Gabbert had two starts already! Why didn’t Kaep have amble opportunity to sink or swim last night since he hasn’t played since last year due to injuries as a starter? Given the fact that Gabbert has shown very little with all practice times and game opportunities, it is clear to me that Kaepernick that if he is to be a starter, he should have been given the playing time instead of the rookie or Ponder during this game 3! “Kelly said he wanted both quarterbacks to have snaps with the first-team offense in the preseason so they could be evaluated fairly.” Well based upon last night game plan, Kelly did not provide that opportunity! And to conclude otherwise insult the intelligence of 49er faithful who know their football!

flaninerfan

The root problem with this and the team itself is the owner/front office with 90% on the owner. They could have sent Kap, who does not want to be here and was coming off numerous surgeries to Denver but would not eat 5 million in the process. So now they will pay him 14 million to be a bad disgruntled backup who is creating bad press with his sit down antic. The Yorks have turned the best organization in the NFL into the worst.

crackedactor

But its all the offensive lines fault. Or is it the coaches fault?

crackedactor

A 75% completion percentage compared to a 20% completion percentage are the exact same stats? That seems odd. Last I checked Gabbert led a TD drive. How’d Kap do? yea he totally looks on the verge of getting that mojo back he had for a brief stretch almost 5 years ago. Kaepernick isn’t getting any salary next season because he’ll be cut soon. But considering this year he’s paying $11.5 million to a terrible QB who’d might get the league minimum from another team if he was on the open market right now, I’d probably be mad if I was Jed too. The irony is after Kaepernick is gone from the 49ers his career is finished. Being a lousy QB like Kaepernick is one thing, but being a lousy QB with alot of drama and attitude is a one way ticket out of the NFL for good.

crackedactor

I agree completely. For this organization to bring him back after everything that happened with the trade demands, terrible play, consistent regression as a passer, alienating and angering his team mates…..it is mindblowing to me that $5 million was too much to swallow to be rid of this cancer. Another in a long line of miscalculations for this bumbling organization.

crackedactor

Kaepernick is thoroughly awful. I’m just grateful we only had to see him play bad football for a quarter. I don’t think my stomach can handle much more than that.

crackedactor

Kaepernick’s rant is a pathetic cry for attention from a guy who knows his NFL career is coming to an end. Kaepernick is not only bad, he can’t even function in an NFL offense any longer. The only way he could keep people talking about him was to insert himself into a messy racial political debate. Because we all know nobody will be talking about anything he does on the football field ever again this was his last shot at fame. The fact a guy who grew up in a white, upper middle class neighborhood who’s making $11.5 million this year is lecturing anyone on oppression is quite frankly shocking. With his foul attitude and the fact he still plays like a bad rookie 6 years in the league there was a very small chance any team was going to take him on, but now its pretty much guaranteed when the 49ers cut him in the next few weeks his football career is over.

kimwiseman

I assume his deep rooted racial feelings were there for many years, even during his “PRIME TIME” years under Harbaugh. Perhaps he should have shared his feeling then instead of now, because he seems to be pouting, given his present status…as a player.

I also take exception to TK’s last paragraph in his today’s article. Sure, we feel differently about many things each day. That includes our feelings to our parents, spouses, children, friends, fellow human being, and yes, even towards our employers and bosses. Just because we feel “badly” one day, just because we just don’t feel like it, that does NOT, under the guise of individual freedom, excuse cussing out, or being disrespectful to our parents, etc., unless you want to risk of being kicked out of the house, get fired, or whatever. There are certain “minimal” expressions of respect, gratitude, deference, and if none of those, then, just common sense. Did you catch that commercial where Stephen Curry give up the recliner chair as soon as his dad came into the living room? Silly analogy but…… We in this country accommodate too much of individual right at the expense of the common good.